Like pop'n music portable 2, all the artist names now use just one font. (However, it is a different font from pop'n music portable 2.)

The song titles, outside the banners, also use just the same font as the artist names.

5-Buttons difficulty is gone, replaced by EASY (see below trivia).

5-Buttons mode was still playable in the location test, though, and even included on the Sunny Park songs in the location test. This suggests EASY mode was a late addition to the game.

The TV/ANIME category has been renamed テレビ・Jポップ (TV/J-POP).

The BEMANI category now shows songs that were present only on the following BEMANI games: beatmania IIDX, DanceDanceRevolution, GuitarFreaks & DrumMania (both original and XG/GITADORA), jubeat, REFLEC BEAT, and SOUND VOLTEX.

As a result, the former ee'MALL songs that don't fit any of the above categories are gone from the BEMANI category, and they can only be found on the NAME, LEVEL, and ARTIST categories.

pop'n music originals that had/were arrangements in inactive BEMANI games were also removed (such as 夜間行), though can still be found in their respective game's individual game folder.

Licensed songs that have also appeared on other BEMANI games are now included in the BEMANI category.

Songs that originated on a currently inactive BEMANI game, but that were crossed over to an active BEMANI game, can now be found in that active BEMANI game's category. As such, several songs can be found more than once on the BEMANI category.

All songs have the same MISS/FEVER animations/backgrounds now (the new one introduced in Sunny Park), including the new licenses and songs from previous pop'n music games.

EASY and NORMAL MODEs are now merged into a brand new NORMAL MODE.

BATTLE MODE now always has COOLs on.

Rating system is now expanded from 1-43 to 1-50. Most songs are upped 6-7 levels to compensate. Battle chart levels are unchanged.

Songs are now grouped into folders not unlike beatmania IIDX.

You can also choose your character using song folders divided by game, too.

You can switch from genre sorting to song title sorting on the songwheel by pressing the 00 button on the eAMUSEMENT keypad (you no longer have to press the left yellow twice).

Every genre of the TV/J-POP category songs has been replaced by their respective titles.

Difficulty changes are now done by pressing the left or right yellow buttons (you no longer have to hold two buttons down).

5-Buttons has been replaced by EASY difficulty, which uses a select number of buttons as opposed to only the center 5 buttons in previous releases. Also, not every song has an EASY chart.

All the characters' 3P palettes that could be obtained by inputting the code found at the back of certain pop'n music 19/20 collectible cards (as well as the new ones for Sunny Park) were moved into a brand new character category, the Special Color category.

Other 3P palettes, such as the URA 3P palettes from pop'n music 11, weren't moved to this category, though.

OPTION PREVIEW, a small window showing what the HIGH-SPEED, HIDDEN/SUDDEN or CHARA/BEAT-POP will be like for a song, is introduced. It is shown right before the beginning of a song, during the options screen before play.

If speed changes are present, previews will be shown for the lowest and highest BPM indicated on the BPM display.

A new feature called Event Booster lets you use PASELI points to speed up the process of unlocking songs.

Only pop'n music arcade title screen with no voices whatsoever if no coins are inserted.

First pop'n music game since pop'n music 17 THE MOVIE in which the game's final song unlock doesn't feature its own unique movie.

Unlockable Songs

Hidden Songs

わたぐものおなか: The song could be unlocked from December 12th, 2012. To unlock this song, you must choose ciel [SP] as your character from the Birthday Character folder. As of December 19th, 2013, this song is automatically unlocked for everyone to play.

ちくわパフェだよ☆CKP: The song can be unlocked in pop'n music Sunny Park from October 30th, 2013. To unlock it, you need to play both 恋とキングコング and めうめうぺったんたん！！ on the same credit, then ちくわパフェだよ☆CKP will be available on the next stage.

カタルシスの月: To unlock it, you need to play both 虚空と光明のディスクール and イブの時代っ！ on the same credit, then カタルシスの月 will be available on the next stage.

Fuyuyasumi! Hokahoka BEMANI Daisakusen (冬休み! ほかほかBEMANI大作戦)

These songs could be unlocked since December 26th, 2012 until April 8th, 2013. To unlock the hidden songs of this event, you must play a certain number of credits (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 credits respectively).

Boku mo watashi mo★pop'n artist! (ボクもワタシも★ポップンアーティスト!)

After each play, you get one musical note (you can get up to three, depending of certain factors). These musical notes are used to fill a tablature. After filling a tablature, you unlock a random song from the event.

These songs could be unlocked from January 16th to April 2nd, 2013. As of April 3rd, 2013, these songs are available for everyone to play.

jubeat × pop'n music × GITADORA (jubeatでもpop'n musicでもGITADORA)

These songs could be unlocked since February 14th, 2013 until April 8th, 2013. to celebrate the release of GITADORA.

Currently, you can unlock the jubeatでもpop'n musicでもGITADORA songs via the WaiWai pop'n doubutsuen (わいわいポップン動物園) event. Each costs 10 animals for all charts, or 8 each for just the HYPER/EX charts or just the EX.

Genre

Song Title

Artist

BPM

Character

Normal Mode

Battle

5 Button

Normal

Hyper

EX

Normal

Hyper

jubeat × pop'n music × GITADORA (jubeatでもpop'n musicでもGITADORA) (Unlockable from February 14th to April 8th, 2013)

pop'n Walker (ポップンウォーカー)

The pop'n Walker event started on March 14th, 2013, and ended on July 2nd, 2013.

Since July 3rd, 2013, you can unlock the ポップンウォーカー songs via the WaiWai pop'n doubutsuen (わいわいポップン動物園) event. Each costs 20 animals for all charts, or 16 each for just the HYPER/EX charts or just the EX.

Shiritsu BEMANI gakuen (私立BEMANI学園)

The Shiritsu BEMANI gakuen event consists on raising the Friendship between two artists to 100% in order to unlock a certain song. You need to check the Shiritsu BEMANI gakuen eAMUSEMENT site after you've reached 100% to claim an unlock.

WaiWai pop'n doubutsuen (わいわいポップン動物園)

The WaiWai pop'n doubutsuen event started on July 3rd, 2013.

To unlock songs in this event, you must round up a certain amount of animals into a designated area corresponding to the song. You earn these animals by clearing various conditions as you play. After finishing a round of songs, you then select the song you want to place your animals in via the buttons on the pop'n music controller. After the number above the song reaches 0, you unlock that song.

All songs introduced in the WaiWai pop'n doubutsuen Phases each take 54 animals to unlock. The only exceptions are IMBOLC (which takes 99) and ANGELION (which takes 21). See the other event lists for numbers for the other songs moved to the WaiWai pop'n doubutsuen event.

IMBOLC and ANGELION will NOT be unlockable until you get every other song in the previous Phases first. IMBOLC must be fully unlocked first to unlock ANGELION.

To access the tournament for Engraved Mark, you had to link your eAMUSEMENT account to ポップンリズミン, and then play Engraved Mark on it once. Since March 5th, 2014, this tournament is available for everyone to access.

New Charts

5-Buttons charts were replaced with EASY charts, which use a select number of buttons, which depends from song to song. However, not every song received EASY charts, the ones that did were TV/J-POP licenses and several popular KONAMI original songs.

The folowing page lists all the returning songs with new EASY charts, as well as the number of buttons used for every chart respectively:

Difficulty Changes

pop'n music Sunny Park brings a new difficulty scale, from 1 to 50, replacing the old 1-43 scale. Because of this, every song from previous releases has been re-rated.

Most of the songs received a simple re-rate on their 9-Buttons charts (old level +6 = new level), however certain songs received other re-ratings on certain charts, which are shown in the following table.

The following songs have received new ratings from their last arcade/console appearance: